


King Of The Clouds

by SpoopyJim



Series: Lonely Ladybugs Universe [3]
Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Anxiety, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Multiplicity/Plurality, Short One Shot, Universe Alteration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:47:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23810302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpoopyJim/pseuds/SpoopyJim
Summary: [A short UA one shot from my Lonely Ladybugs AU]“Do you want to hang out?”“I don’t even know you.”“I’m Josh. Now you know me?”The boy gave an incredulous expression at Josh, before glancing down. “... You don’t need to know my name.”This was a stranger, no matter how nice he was. A stranger wasn’t allowed to know the boy existed, let alone his name.Josh chewed his lip. “So you don’t want to hang out…?”“....”The boy hesitated for a moment, before sighing and jumping off the metal railing he’d been sitting on for far too long. He didn’t need to pretend to breathe fire anymore. There was no fire to be had, and besides. It was too cold for it.“Fine, we can.”
Relationships: Josh Dun/Blurryface
Series: Lonely Ladybugs Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1715203
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	King Of The Clouds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TJGlitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TJGlitch/gifts).



> Oh look an AU of my Lonely Ladybugs AU
> 
> Look, just- teenagers.
> 
> It's kind of a UA, it's the same exact universe, except the alteration is Josh and Blurry met when they were teenagers, and then that set off them being friends early and finding out they had systems lol

Fingers curled and wrapped around the sharply cold metal bar the boy was sitting on. It was snowing, and windy, but it didn’t matter to him. He did keep his eyes half lidded, some way to shield them from the cold. A hand went up to pull his beanie further down his head, shivering.

There was no way he was going home, not when their dad’s friend was there, still staying over. Still slinking around every corner, casting shadows that crawled up his throat and all over his hands.

A visible exhale escaped him, and he finally focused on just entertaining himself with cold, icy breaths. Each breath looked more like he was a dying dragon, trying to breathe fire. Each breath wasn’t enough to ignite the flame he so desperately needed.

“Are you okay?”

The boy visibly flinched- no, it’s okay, you’re safe- eyes darting over to look at the other.

The new kid was just being friendly. Chocolate eyes shining a bit, concerned smile on his lips. He was beautiful, actually. Somehow tan looking, when their world was covered in ice.

“You seemed bored.”

“... I guess.”

The new kid touched his hair, tugging at strands, as if to visibly show he was thinking. His lips pulled into a slight pout, and the boy couldn’t tell if he wanted to kiss them or bite them off.

“Do you want to hang out?”

“I don’t even know you.”

“I’m Josh. Now you know me?”

The boy gave an incredulous expression at Josh, before glancing down. “... You don’t need to know my name.”

This was a stranger, no matter how nice he was. A stranger wasn’t allowed to know the boy existed, let alone his name. 

Josh chewed his lip. “So you don’t want to hang out…?”

“....” 

The boy hesitated for a moment, before sighing and jumping off the metal railing he’d been sitting on for  _ far  _ too long. He didn’t need to pretend to breathe fire anymore. There was no fire to be had, and besides. It was too cold for it.

“Fine, we can.”

Josh seemed excited, actually.

The boy felt his heart thump a bit, watching Josh happily lead him to some store to get some drink. Nothing that the boy really cared about, but…

Well, it felt nice to have someone enjoy his company. And he really did think Josh was enjoying his company. That felt… very weird.

When Josh glanced over at the strange boy, he stiffened.

“I can buy you something.”

“... yeah. I didn’t bring any money.”

The boy watched as Josh bought them both some drink, something warm and minty, and chocolatey.

Josh was too nice. The boy didn’t trust it at all, at  _ all _ .

He was buying the boy gifts, and he was going to expect something in return, and-

“Hey, you’re breathing a bit funny. Do you want to try sitting somewhere quieter?”

The boy looked up at Josh, seeing more concern in his expression. Again.

Jeeze. He kept causing this stranger to be concerned over him. It felt good, but also kind of shitty.

“Look… I don’t talk to many people, and I really wasn’t expecting to have to mask today. As nice as you’ve been-” The boy started.

Josh held up a hand. “Hey. I get it. I know what you mean. I’ll leave you alone, I got you the cocoa, you should be good now.”

The boy gave an incredulous look.

“I don’t think you know what I mean.”

Josh’s eyebrows raised. “Hmm. Well, maybe not, but I do know about having to mask every day.”

“It’s a mental illness thing, not ‘acting cool so people like you’ thing.”

Josh blinked a few times.

“... Yeah.”

“Oh.”

The boy cringed a bit, glancing away. “... so what is it?”

Josh cocked his head. “What is what? The mental illness?”

The boy rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh… You don’t have to tell me.”

Josh took a sip of his cocoa. “... Let’s get out of here first?”

Well damn, now the boy had to stay with Josh. But he was curious, and finally wasn’t bored…

The boy followed Josh back to the park, curling slightly around his hot cocoa and letting out a shaky sigh as heat leached from the cup into his cold, trembling fingers.

“Didn’t want to be home?”

The boy stiffened a bit. “No, not really.”

“Yeah… I, uh…” Josh glanced away, fumbling over his words. “Sometimes feel that way, oddly enough…”

The boy frowned deeply. Wait, what? After the whole ‘accidentally thinking the mentally ill guy was a neurotypical’ fiasco, he really didn’t want to go down a ‘regular arguing with the parents vs anything bad happening’ road. No, he would wait for Josh to explain this time.

If it was the former though, the boy was going to scream.

Josh gave a patient, albeit nervous smile. “Hey, don’t worry. It’s only sometimes.”

The boy slowly followed Josh to sit with him on a bench in the park, pulling his knees up and pressing his hot cocoa cup right between his knees. “So nothing bad is happening at home?”

“Mostly.”

The boy played with his jeans, eyes darkening a bit. Great, this town took children, chewed them up, and spit out traumatized bastards.

No, the world did that. Not just this stupid town.

“Anxiety, for one.” Josh suddenly said, causing the boy to jolt a bit.

“Huh?”

“Mental illnesses? I haven’t really talked to many people about them, but I always mention anxiety. It makes most people act gentler with me, but it’s a double edged sword. Other people take it as a need to be even shittier.”

The boy nodded. So Josh was really going to confide in him?

“Other things… a lot of it isn’t diagnosed. My therapist said being diagnosed with a lot of what I have could ruin my life.” Josh fumbled quietly.

The boy’s eyes widened. “... o- my therapist… said that too, actually…”

“Oh look, we have ableism in common.”

The boy gave a rueful laugh, nodding a bit. “Hell of a thing to have in common. Imagine being an ableist… how sad do you have to be?”

Josh smiled, nodding. “Yeah, right?” He paused, long and thoughtful. “We should trade addresses. We could hang out. Slumber party.”

The boy could tell there was something flat in what Josh was saying, as if he didn’t expect that to happen. And maybe it wouldn’t, not in the way Josh thought, but the boy knew someone would spend the night with Josh.

“Sure.”

Josh lifted his head, eyes brightening as a wide grin settled on his lips.

The boy’s heart skipped a bit.

“Does this mean I can learn your name?”

The boy hesitated largely, eyes narrowing.

“........ yeah.”

Josh looked excited, and the boy guessed he earned the right. Both to his name, and to be excited.

“It’s…. Blurryface. Blurry is fine.”

Recognition immediately flickered on Josh’s face, eyes widening until they were two large saucers.

Blurry felt sick. This had been a bad idea. Oh god, Josh thought he was weird now, and a liar, and-

“And… the body name…?”

Blurry’s eyes widened back now, lips making a soft o.

The both of them sat in perfect silence for a long, long moment.

After what felt like hours, Blurry said, “Tyler.”

“... our body’s name is Josh, so I guess that makes me the… like, main person…?”

Blurry looked over. “You’re… you’re multiple people too?”

Josh nodded slowly. 

“Huh… How many?”

Josh blinked. “Um… there’s… 8 people, including me?”

Blurry gave a noise. “Really? Four.”

Josh exhaled. “... Wanna have a sleepover tonight?”

Blurry looked Josh over, before nodding. “I’ll go to your house.”

Josh nodded back. “Um, parents don’t like it.”

Blurry scoffed. “Ableism is a bitch.”

Josh smiled. “It really is.”


End file.
